Shock tally of school job hope crooks

More than two dozen convicted criminals have applied for jobs in Scarborough and Filey schools, The Scarborough News can reveal.

The offenders include a man found guilty of a sex offence, a burglar and a hard-drug user.

We have obtained a list of crimes committed by people applying for roles, including teaching positions.

In total 1,356 applicants were vetted for jobs in the Scarborough area since 2009 – as caretakers, cleaners, cooks or in a teaching role. The past offences came to light in Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks.

The information was obtained via a Freedom of Information request and the figures also show that fraudsters, drink drivers and burglars were also among those trying to find employment in schools throughout the area during the past three years.

Approximately one in every 50 applicants have had their criminal past brought to light through the checks, and Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, believes these figures show the system, designed to filter out potentially dangerous individuals, is working.

She said: “These figures demonstrate that the CRB check is an effective method for picking up cases of applicants with serious convictions.

“CRB checks are carried out on entry to teacher training courses, as well as before employment. As well as conviction information, the check will disclose any other non-proven reported concerns.

“In addition, employers must refer to the Independent Safeguarding Authority any cases in which teachers leave a post when there are outstanding concerns of a risk to children and young people which would otherwise have been pursued.”

CRB checks contain details of all spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings from the Police National Computer.

Enhanced checks, which are carried out for those working with children or vulnerable adults, also include information held by local police forces and lists of people barred from working with children and vulnerable adults, which are kept by the Independent Safeguarding Authority .

A CRB spokesman said that since the checks were introduced, they have helped to stop more than 150,000 unsuitable people from working or volunteering with children or vulnerable people since they were introduced in 2002.